wfn.org | Presiding Bishop's Fund builds in Honduras

[Daphne Mack <dmack@dfms.org>]

For more information contact:
Episcopal News Service
Kathryn McCormick
Kmccormick@dfms.org
212/922-5383
http://www.ecusa.anglican.org/ens

99-090

Construction begins on Honduran houses sponsored by the Presiding 
Bishop's Fund

by Kathryn McCormick

(ENS) With an impressive ground-breaking ceremony, 
construction began in June on the first house in "Faith, Hope and 
Joy: A Project for Living," the Honduran housing project 
sponsored by the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief.

"We were very pleased that so many officials were present 
for the ceremony," said Abagail Nelson, the fund's coordinator 
for the project, which is located near San Pedro Sula. She noted 
that the vice-president of Honduras, Juan Bendeck, headed a local 
delegation that also included regional leaders and the head of 
the local Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Equally important was the presence of all the Anglican 
bishops of Central America, with the exception of Sturdie Downs 
of Nicaragua, who was unable to attend, Nelson said. 

"We discussed possible programs for the rest of Latin 
America," she said, "and all the bishops have agreed to try to 
give the fund proposals in the next few months for ongoing 
projects."

Nelson said the fund also was pleased by the presence of 
reporters from La Prensa, Honduras' national newspaper, and from 
CNN Latin America.

The first three-year phase of "Faith, Hope and Joy" will 
include construction of 95 houses, to be built by volunteers from 
the Episcopal Church and the families who will make the houses 
their homes. The families have lived in temporary quarters since 
the country was devastated by Hurricane Mitch last October. The 
fund hopes eventually to build a total of 500 houses.

"The response we've had from the church has been 
tremendous," Nelson said of the call for volunteers. For example, 
during the two weeks following the ground-breaking ceremony, she 
received nearly 80 requests from groups and individuals seeking 
information about volunteering. She is already signing people up 
to work during the summer of 2000, she said.

The Diocese of Washington and the South American Missionary 
Society (SAMS) also are sponsoring major house-building projects.

Nelson said that engineers currently are designing the plans 
for the distribution of fresh water to each house site and for 
the installation of sewerage. Foundations are being laid out and 
the machinery for making the concrete blocks to construct the 
houses is ready.

Digging has begun for the well, she said, adding that as 
many as 20 families will be living at the project site by next 
fall, when the Executive Council is scheduled to meet in San 
Pedro Sula.

Editor's note: To learn more about "Faith, Hope and Joy" or to 
volunteer to help build the new houses, call Abagail Nelson at 
800-334-7626, ext. 6139, or email her at anelson@dfms.org. 
Contributions to support the project (each house costs $3,100) 
may be sent to the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief, P.O. 
Box 12043, Newark, NJ. Checks should be designated for Honduras 
Houses.

--Kathryn McCormick is associate director of the Office of News 
and Information of the Episcopal Church.